How do you cope when you’re the only one holding everything together?

I’m a married man with 2 kids, and I’m the only one earning in my family. We’ve been in the US for the past 3 years, just an average kind of job. Honestly, I feel like I’ve been carrying financial burdens my whole life.

Back home in India, I was the eldest son, so I had to start earning at a young age because our family wasn’t doing well financially. I worked and studied simultaneously, eventually earning my doctorate. I then got married and moved to the US for work. From the outside, it probably looks like we’re doing well — good job, happy family, going on outings. But inside, I feel like I’m drowning.

The thing is, I am a happy person around my family. I don’t show them what I’m going through. I’m always playing with my kids, enjoying with them, trying to give them a good childhood. But when I’m alone, working late, or lying in bed trying to sleep, the horror of the financial burden hits me. My mind won’t stop racing, and many nights I can’t sleep at all.

Here’s the reality:

• Every paycheck goes to kids, family outings, outside food, shopping, etc.
• My wife doesn’t want to work right now, which I understand since she’s focused on the kids. However, she also spends quite a bit, and if I bring it up, it often leads to fights or makes her upset.
• I send money back to India to support my parents and siblings.
• Unexpected expenses keep piling up (just yesterday someone hit my car in a parking lot and drove off).

On the surface, we’re enjoying life, but deep down, I’m stressed, frustrated, anxious, and honestly… lonely. Sometimes I feel like screaming, crying, or just running away. I don’t know how much longer I can keep juggling everything without breaking down.

I guess I’m just venting here, but if anyone has been in a similar situation, how do you cope? How do you balance family happiness with financial reality without losing your mind?